Forty-five Airmen from Delaware Air National Guard complete final preparations before deployments to Southwest Asia combat zones, Germany and a United States location to care for wounded troops

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  • By 020411
Forty-five Airmen from the Delaware Air National Guard's 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron completed a final mobilization line this afternoon, Sunday April 10, before they start deploying tomorrow to Afghanistan and to several other nations in Southwest Asia, to Germany, and to Andrews Air Force Base, Md. All 45 Airmen will be deployed for at least four months, and some will be deployed for up to six months.

Today the Airmen received a series of mandatory out-briefings, to include a check of records and receipt of medical, finance, legal, chaplain and family support information, and any final vaccinations. Over a dozen Airmen leave the New Castle air base for their assigned destination tomorrow, and other small groups of Airmen will depart over the next few weeks.

These aeromedical evacuation specialists, a mixture of medical technicians and flight nurses, will take troops wounded on the front lines at forward operating bases back home aboard various Air Force aircraft to receive further medical help and to be reunited with their loved ones in America. They will form aeromedical evacuation aircrews that travel throughout Afghanistan and to air bases in several nearby nations, moving patients onward to Germany, and finally back to the U.S., as part of the system that cares for troops wounded in combat.

The Airmen are primarily residents of the four states of Del., Pa., Md. and N.J., and many of them work full-time in local and regional civilian hospitals. Airmen from the 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron first served in Afghanistan in October, 2001, just weeks after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The Delaware ANG has 1,100 members, and continually deploys personnel and subordinate units around the globe. This release is in the public domain, and any part may be used as written.

Delaware Air National Guard: Celebrating 65 years of Citizen-Airman service to our state and nation, 1946-2011.

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